Cavendish - Very light programme?

iainf72

I know Cavendish is lining up for the Giro, but he seems to have had a very light programme this year. I know he's had a few quality wins but usually you'd do Romandie if you're going to the Giro.

Also did do any of the smaller stage races in the north etc.

Is there a method to the madness? Or is Cuddly Bob stopping him from racing?

afx237vi

He's done 31 days so far this year, which is more than Farrar (28 ), Freire (25), Boonen (26) and Petacchi (14!). He did the TDU and Oman, which is probably why he hasn't been very noticeable.

inkyfingers

If he's riding three GTs (albeit probably only half a Giro) and aiming to peak for the Tour and the Worlds then he'd be mad to race too many days early in the season.

He certainly seems to have lost the puppy fat he had in the TDU, and will probably aim to ride into some form at the Giro. He has a fair chance of getting into the pink jersey again if HTC ride a good TTT, even if they don't win it he could get it from time bonuses over the first few days.

I think he'll get a couple of stages at the Giro and then kick ass in the Tour and finally win the green jersey this year. The Worlds will be much harder to call, but having won MSR he's certainly got a chance if team GB picks up enough World Tour points (yes, Wiggins...we're looking at you)!

greasedscotsman

I thought the idea of riding all 3 GT's was to get lots of points to qualify a larger GB team himself?

RichN95.

The think with his racing so far is that much of it seems to be with little purpose.
Obviously, MSR was a goal and didn't go too well personally and he crashed at GW.

But I would have thought, with the World's as a big target, he would be keeping the ranking points ticking along to ensure a full team (which would make him very hard to beat). Romandie would seem ideal for this (TdU was even more so). He's yet to score a single point yet.

cogidubnus

inkyfingers wrote:

he's certainly got a chance if team GB picks up enough World Tour points (yes, Wiggins...we're looking at you)!

Well if his climbing form at Romandie is anything to go by... Early season I know, but he's practicarly got all of May off hasnt he?

inkyfingers

greasedscotsman wrote:

I thought the idea of riding all 3 GT's was to get lots of points to qualify a larger GB team himself?

It may well be, but as we saw in 2010 that he can't do it on his own even though he wons lots of stages at the Tour and The Vuelta. He needs others to get some good results to have a serious chance of getting 9 British riders into the worlds. For example, in 2009 we got 9 riders partly because of Cav winning MSR and lots of GT stages, but also because of Wiggins getting 4th in the Tour which got some serious points.

RichN95.

greasedscotsman wrote:

I thought the idea of riding all 3 GT's was to get lots of points to qualify a larger GB team himself?

I may be wrong, but I don't think Vuelta points count (the allocation is done before it finishes and maybe before it starts)

inkyfingers wrote:

if team GB picks up enough World Tour points (yes, Wiggins...we're looking at you)

Wiggins is doing his bit - he's got 74 points. Cav hasn't got any.

greasedscotsman

RichN95 wrote:

greasedscotsman wrote:

I thought the idea of riding all 3 GT's was to get lots of points to qualify a larger GB team himself?

I may be wrong, but I don't think Vuelta points count (the allocation is done before it finishes and maybe before it starts)

So then maybe the Vuelta is just a preparation race for the Worlds?

inkyfingers

RichN95 wrote:

greasedscotsman wrote:

inkyfingers wrote:

if team GB picks up enough World Tour points (yes, Wiggins...we're looking at you)

Wiggins is doing his bit - he's got 74 points. Cav hasn't got any.

True. He did well at PN, but apart from that he's been poor. A half decent ride at the Tour would make a hell of a difference though...and a few more good results from Swifty (who is already our best points scorer) and Geraint Thomas. Then if Cav can pick up a good haul from the Giro and The Tour then we should make the cut.

Tusher

From twitter, he's spend the past two weeks training hard with Ms Peta Todd, especially the night when his playstation went down (with 2 billion others or something like that). That's why he's lost the puppy fat.

Pokerface

RichN95 wrote:

I may be wrong, but I don't think Vuelta points count (the allocation is done before it finishes and maybe before it starts)

The Vuelta is included in the World Tour Ranking points. Is this what is used to determine the Worlds' spots?


EDIT: Looks like they do allocate the spots before the start of the Vuelta, so I guess it really IS just a preparation race. That and a really good Grand Tour. 8)

Omar Little

Is the previous years Vuelta counted then for the proceeding years Worlds'? The 3 stage wins (+the team time trial) and the points jersey would have been a nice boost.

blazing_saddles

Cav last raced the Scheldprijs/Roubaix double on April 6th and 10th, if I'm not mistaken?
I think Iain is right to question whether Cav will be able to fly from day one of the Giro, under these circumstances.
I guess we'll find out in a week or so.
Much anticipation as to whether young Andrea Guardini will get a second Turkey stage, so we will get the two fastest men on the planet going head-to-head.

cal_stewart

^ cav wins

cal_stewart

^ cav wins

yourpaceormine

He's riding Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt (1.1) today I believe.

Snorebens

No Cav / Guardini match up, despite those two stages:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/no-giro ... -in-turkey